Dear Faculty and Staff,
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, learn, and work. Yet, this pandemic did not degrade our success or destroy our spirit, thanks to your dedication, flexibility, and determination to pursue excellence through the most uncertain and difficult times. We want to take a moment to acknowledge our employees who worked on campus during this period, for their dedication and commitment to our university mission and for sustaining our campus operations.
A lesson from COVID-19 is that work is not as much about where it happens. Work is first about what we do, followed by how, when, and then where.
Work. With Flexibility.
As we look ahead, we are pleased to announce new guidelines for the way we work going forward. Human Resources has created an approach called Work. With Flexibility. which provides systemwide guidance for legal and policy compliance, while allowing for local flexibility in its application. We developed this guidance over several months in collaboration with the HR community and senior leaders, and in consultation with University of Minnesota Senate governance groups, the General Counsel’s office, and others.
Our preliminary guidelines describe various options for flexible work, including full-time in-person, full-time remote, and a mix between the two. It addresses topics pertaining to working out of state, remote work for hourly workers, office technology, accommodations, and much more. Importantly, we will measure, assess, and refine the guidance over the next year by continuing to gather feedback from employees, students, and the HR community to maximize its effectiveness.
Planning for Returning to Campus
In the meantime, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors will define how best to use this guidance to develop plans that meet the needs of their specific unit. Supervisors will evaluate all Work. With Flexibility. requests and make decisions that are in the best interest of the work they oversee, staying within bounds of the University and Chancellor/Vice Chancellor guidance.
Plans will be communicated to employees by July 19, 2021, and when possible, before that date to provide time for employees to make appropriate arrangements.
Employees should understand that although department leaders and supervisors are responsible for making final decisions about individual flexible work arrangements, they will do so by thoughtfully considering each employee’s perspective and unique circumstances. Indeed, with support from HR, supervisors will have the tools and resources they need to foster transparency, set clear expectations and ensure equity in the development of flexible work plans.
Resources to Support a Flexible Workplace
To learn more, please visit z.umn.edu/WorkWithFlexibility which houses information and resources, including the guidelines themselves, case studies of how they are already being applied in certain areas, an FAQ, supervisory training materials, and more.
Leadership and Talent Development in the Office of Human Resources developed resources to help supervisors build the skills needed to make these decisions and manage flexible teams. Training resources and other supervisory materials are currently available on the Work. With Flexibility. and at supervising.umn.edu. More information on supervisory training is forthcoming.
We recognize the incredible strength and patience you summoned during the past year as we navigated uncharted waters. Amazingly, we are entering new territory once again—a post-pandemic reality—that undoubtedly will require continued patience and agility, at least for the near-term. For that, we are grateful. We also are hopeful that this new phase brings great excitement for the future of work at the University.
For specific questions about the systemwide guidelines, please contact your supervisor or HR representative.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
Mark Yuran
Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources
